The Boys of Griffin
by A.D. Fields
Summary: Griffin Co-Ed Academy, a trial ship for the Ministry of Ed, to see if boys can make it on a school carrier. Five lucky males have been selected to take part in Tankery, and you'll be following their adventures through, and in the end, the question will be raised: Should males be allowed in Tankery? Join Andrew, Klaus, Ciaran, and many more as they battle their way to the top.
1. The First Day

**A/N:** Hey everyone! None of you probably know me, but I'm A. D. Fields. This is my first foray into the Girls und Panzer fandom, and it was mostly because of my bud Amir-015 for sending me a pretty in-depth prompt that got the gears in my head turning.

Rated T for now, but may be bumped to M. I'll see how I feel.

Hopefully, you enjoy reading this, as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Please, if you like it, feel free to favorite or follow the story, and if you're feeling particularly kind, drop me a review. I try my best to respond to each and every one I get.

Now that that's out of the way, I don't own GuP, etc.

Let's get on with the story.

* * *

 **Griffin**

* * *

 **An Undisclosed Location**

"Well, wasn't this what you wanted?" a man in a business suit queried, pushing up his glasses and folding his hands on the desk.

"Well…yes, it is, but it's all rather sudden. Where will we get the students for this?" the female voice asked, before the man cut her off with a chuckle.

"Oh Ms. Sato, do you really think the Ministry of Education would set this up without having something in place? There's already a school carrier prepared, and waiting in Yokosuka for the arrival of the students" he stated easily, leaning back in the plush chair.

"And the students?" she asked, curious to see what the government official had cooked up.

"All different nationalities. We've sorted out translators, and they're waiting on the boat as we speak…however, the males will not be participating in Senshado" he replied, before the headmistress stood up, outraged.

"And why not? Males should have the right to do as they please, and to take whatever elective they wish! We allow males to fight wars in tanks, but not participate in a sport that would groom them for future endeavors? That's sexist" she exploded, tearing a strip off of the man.

"That's _tradition_ " he corrected, pushing up his glasses again "Several naysayers still exist in the pack, with the largest being the head of Kuromorimine, Shiho Nishizumi. We know how many requests you put in for this, and we're willing to make an arrangement."

"Screw the naysayers" she snorted, quite annoyed at how the meeting was progressing "It's my decision as to whether boys will be allowed to participate from my school, and I will allow them."

It appeared that she didn't hear all of what he said, so he tried again, reasoning with the woman.

"The decision is out of your hands, however, we do have a proposition for you" he said, tenting his fingers "Say if your team gets to the semi-finals, you will be allowed to keep males in Senshado, but if you fail and lose, you must dismiss the boys from the team, and never allow them to participate again."

Now this, gave her pause. While it would allow boys to participate, she'd need to make sure they did well enough to make it to the semi-finals to be able to get her wish.

"Very well, I accept. Have the tanks been provided? And how will the decision be made of who to extend the invitation towards to let their students join the ship?" Sato questioned, nodding her head.

"The tanks are on the ship as well, and entrance exams have been sent to schools around the world to let their students take them to see which ones will be transferring to the ship" he informed her, before rubbing his temples "The population of the ship will be more female then male anyways. We're planning on a 2:1 ratio, of 1,000 females, and 500 males."

"Then I guess we're done here Vice-Minister" she said, standing up and bowing to the man "I'll see to it that we make it to the semi-finals."

With that, the minister was left to his own thoughts, wondering what this year would bring.

* * *

 **Toronto, Ontario**

 _Dear Mr. Dixon,_

 _Congratulations! It is my pleasure to inform you that you have been admitted to Griffin Co-ed Academy. Your test scores allowed this to happen, and you should be proud of your achievement. The fall semester is beginning in three weeks, and a ticket has been included with this letter for a flight to Yokosuka, Japan, where you will meet and board the school carrier. You will then depart, and begin your studies on the sea._

 _Your scores were far above others in some areas, that you've been selected as one of the few lucky male members of the Griffin Senshado team, should you wish to accept this offer._

 _Once again, I offer you congratulations on your acceptance to the school, and we look forward to welcoming you aboard._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Yami Sato, Headmistress of Griffin Academy._

He had to read the letter once again to make sure that he wasn't imagining it.

"Huh" he mused "It seems like that test wasn't totally garbage, and actually meant something in the end."

But after that, his thoughts suddenly turned to his friends and family, all whom were in Toronto, who he'd be leaving behind.

 _"_ _Klaus isn't going to like this"_ he thought with a grimace as he grabbed his jacket, heading out to break the news to his best friend, but just as he opened the door, he nearly ran face first into said friend.

"Andrew? What are you doing?" Klaus asked, the slight German accent discernible in his speech, but not impeding it.

"I was going to talk to you. What are you doing?" Andrew asked, poking Klaus in the chest before noticing the envelope that was in his hand "Is that from Griffin Academy?"

"Yeah" he said, a look of confusion on his face "How'd you know?"

Andrew couldn't suppress the grin as he lifted his own envelope up and gestured to it "Looks like we're heading to Japan."

"You get the offer for Senshado too?" Klaus asked, his own face breaking into a smile.

"Yeah, and I think I'll do it too. What about you?" Andrew questioned, walking back into the house, Klaus in tow before closing the door.

"Hell yeah I did. Who knows, maybe we'll be in the same tank" he said, putting his coat on the rack.

Now came the hardest part of their acceptance so far.

How to tell their parents that they were being transferred to Japan.

* * *

 **Two and a half weeks later, Yokosuka, Japan**

"Holy fuck. That's where we're living?" Klaus mused, looking up at the massive hull of an aircraft carrier.

"I guess so" Andrew muttered, pulling his two suitcases behind him as he and Klaus trekked towards the massive ship, heading for a small gangway near the center of it.

All around them were throngs of people of different nationalities, and different languages were being thrown every which way.

Some were decidedly English, but many more were European or Asian dialects.

While both Andrew and Klaus could speak fluent German and English, those languages and many more jumbled together in the air around them.

Finally reaching the gangway, the two of them were stopped and asked for identification in Japanese first, then English.

Producing the documents, as well as the letter from the school they had both received, they were given a map, and let onto the ship.

The pair found an elevator, and were soon standing on the main deck, which was…a town to their surprise.

"Damn, I wasn't expecting an entire city to be up here" Klaus muttered under his breath before consulting his map "Okay…from where we are, we need to walk down this street, take a right, and keep going, then we'll hit the male dorms."

"Sounds good to me. Lead the way" Andrew mused, nodding his head in the direction they had to travel.

After walking for about ten minutes, they entered the complex of dorms, which was more or less situated like two huge apartment buildings.

"So on here it tells us what room we're in. I got 516" Andrew stated, looking at the small booklet that one of the people at the gangway had given him.

"I'm in 703" Klaus said, pulling out the keycard as they walked inside and hit the button to call an elevator.

Andrew got off first, walking down the hall to his room in the building, finding it, and pulling out the keycard.

Opening the door, he instantly scrutinized the area he had been given to live in while at school.

 _"_ _Kinda sparse"_ he thought, taking note of the bed, desk, table, and computer.

There were another three doors, one which was a closet, another which was a bathroom, and the last being a small kitchen, before hoisting his suitcases up on the bed and opening both of them.

What surprised him slightly, was the small bracelet on the desk, with an envelope beside it.

Opening the envelope, his eyes scanned the printed words on the paper.

 _Welcome to Griffin Academy! We hope your transit here was pleasant. On the desk, you will find a translator bracelet. Due to the fact that we'll have many nationalities here, and not everyone will speak in a language you can understand, we've developed a universal translator that will take their language and make it into your main language, whether that's English, Russian, Korean, or countless others._

 _If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact administration at the following number. Have a nice day._

"Interesting" he mused, putting the bracelet on opposite to his wristwatch, and fastening it before setting to the task of preparing the room.

Within an hour, everything had been unpacked, clothes had been hung up, school supplies and a backpack were waiting neatly by the door for the first day, and a few photographs had been placed on the desk to give the place a more 'homey' feel.

Pulling out his phone, he sent a quick text to Klaus, checking on his unpacking progress, right as there was a knock at the door.

"Hello?" he called, opening the door to reveal another guy there, fair skin, about five and a half feet tall, curly brown hair, blue-green eyes and an overall stocky sort of build.

"Good afternoon. I'm Ciaran Forsyth and it looks like we'll be neighbors" he stated, sticking out his hand, which Andrew took and shook.

"Andrew Dixon" he replied, shaking his hand twice before letting it go "Where are you from bud?"

"The UK. How about yourself?" Ciaran asked.

"Ontario. It's in Canada" Andrew stated, before Ciaran nodded.

"Anyways, I just came over to introduce myself. I'll let you get back to your unpacking" he said, with a quick wave.

 _"_ _Nice guy. I wonder if he made Senshado"_ Andrew thought, closing his door and turning on the computer to check the news.

Hours just seemed to melt away, as the light outside faded until it was finally dark on the colossal ship, illumination being provided by dockyard lighting and the ships own lights.

They weren't due to depart until the next morning at around 10, so Andrew knew he'd have time to kill.

After sending an e-mail to his folks, letting them know he'd arrived safe and sound, he decided to go out and explore the city he now needed to call home for the discernable future.

Tugging on a sweater, he left the apartment, locking the door behind him as he sauntered to the elevator bank.

Soon enough, he was outside, walking the slightly darkened streets of the academy ship, looking for nearby conveniences.

It didn't take long to go around, locating a grocery store, the school itself, a post office, and a small café, all within ten minutes of walking at the most.

The streets were pretty quiet, considering the hour it was, so he decided that, with his exploration complete, he would head back to the apartment complex and knock off for the night.

Finding the way back was easy enough, so all too quickly he was standing in his apartment, pulling back the covers of the bed and laying down.

 _"_ _Tomorrow should be an exciting day. School uniforms, timetables, and extracurricular activity sheets"_ he thought, right before shutting off the light and drifting to sleep.

* * *

 **The Next Day**

Andrew awoke the next morning, stretching out and yawning before pulling his cell phone off the nightstand to look at the time.

8:36am

Oh crap.

"Dammit! I overslept" he muttered, getting out of bed and pulling a random assortment of clothes out, before throwing them on, grabbing his bag, and rushing out the door.

Considering school started in twenty minutes, he was lucky by all accounts, as he was soon outside the building and walking with countless other students towards the main hub of activity that day, which was the school.

"I thought you weren't going to make it" Klaus said once Andrew ran into him just outside the school.

"I nearly didn't" he replied, shrugging a shoulder "I overslept a bit."

"A bit?" Klaus chuckled quietly "You damn near missed the opening speech from the headmistress."

"Yes, but I didn't" Andrew stated, poking Klaus in the side as a tall and slender Asian woman with black hair took the stage in front of the crowd.

A hush fell over the assembled people as the woman began speaking.

"Good morning to you all. I am Yami Sato, your headmistress for Griffin Academy. This is a trial program being run, seeing if males and females can coexist at the same school and not have any interruptions.

"Now I understand that you're all from different parts of the world, but your translators should be working fine, and if not, then you probably can't understand a word I'm saying right now."

A chuckle rose from the crowd, but was quieted as the headmistress spoke once again.

"Today you will be receiving your uniforms, class schedules, and your extracurricular options sheets to be filled out and returned by the end of the week at the latest. So let's hop to it! The sooner you have your stuff, the sooner you can return to your dorms and prepare for your first day tomorrow, which will be orientation mostly.

"I look forward to meeting each and every one of you. Have a wonderful day."

Polite applause sounded from all the students, just as the ships whistle blew, indicating an immediate departure from Yokosuka Harbour.

"Well, looks like we're going to start a new adventure" Klaus said, putting an arm around Andrew's shoulder.

"Hopefully you don't cry this time, like you did saying goodbye to your parents at the airport" Andrew stated, grinning as Klaus punched him in the shoulder.

"We don't talk about that" he hissed in good nature as Andrew rubbed the affected shoulder, before noticing someone coming.

"Ciaran, hey! Good to see you" Andrew said, turning to the newcomer "This is my best friend Klaus. Klaus, this is Ciaran Forsyth, my neighbour."

"Pleasure to meet you" Klaus said admirably, offering his hand.

"Likewise" Ciaran replied, letting his eyes run over Klaus, before taking his hand and shaking it.

"So, shall we collect our uniforms and whatnot?" Andrew asked, gesturing towards the booths set up outside the school that had a veritable army of students surrounding them.

The small group agreed, and quickly got into line behind several boys who were all waiting for timetables and elective sheets.

Uniforms were at another booth.

Within a half hour, the three of us had their new uniforms, their timetables, and the elective sheets, and were sitting at a table outside of the small café Andrew had found the night before.

"Alright, so what does everyone have on their schedules?" Ciaran asked, prompting the other two with him to unfold their timetables and read them.

"Homeroom in 204" Klaus said, and both Andrew and Ciaran nodded.

Surprisingly enough, the lot had most classes together, except for gym, which Ciaran was on his own for, and math, which Andrew was on his own for.

Pulling out the elective sheets, the group let their eyes skim over all the different choices.

"Well, the choice is a shoe in for me" Andrew stated, as Klaus nodded and the two of them circled their choices.

"If you don't mind my asking, what are you guys taking?" Ciaran queried, as both Andrew and Klaus folded their elective sheets back up and slid them into the provided envelopes.

"Senshado" the two of them said, shrugging as they looked at the Brit.

"Oh?" he asked "I got that offer myself, but I wasn't going to accept it."

"Do it man" Klaus replied, smiling "Tanks are probably the coolest thing around."

"Well, I've always liked tanks. I actually planned on going into the Armored Corps once I finished high school, but unfortunately, my eyesight isn't the best. My grandfather was in the 4th Royal Tank Regiment, and my uncle was in the 1st, so tanks have always been in my blood" Ciaran said, as he circled his choice on the sheet, before folding it and stuffing it back in the envelope.

"How about we head back to the school and drop these off so we can forget about them?" Andrew offered, and getting a nod from the other guys, they all set off back to school, their uniforms in their bags, as they went to hand in their options sheets.

The walk allowed the trio to talk and get to know each other better, moreso for Ciaran to learn about Andrew and Klaus, and for the two of them to learn about their neighbour from across the pond.

The Briton had an interest in tabletop gaming, and did some small writing, but nothing that ever got published. He also enjoyed Pepsi, and always wore a hat outside, something resembling a military sort of cap with a flat top and baseball style bill, which neither Andrew nor Klaus really noticed.

They finally made it to the school, where the booths were just being torn down as the last of the students dispersed, and luckily, the headmistress was overseeing it all.

Klaus cleared his throat, getting her attention to which she smiled softly.

"What can I do for you boys?" she queried, walking up to them and looking into their eyes.

"We're here to hand in our elective sheets ma'am" Andrew replied, as he and the other two took them out of their bags.

If the woman was surprised, she didn't look it, as she took the three envelopes and opened them in turn, reading the choices circled on each.

"So you're a few of the young men who got picked for Senshado?" she asked, and the three of them nodded "Excellent. I'm very pleased to see that you've picked it for your elective. I have a feeling you're going to like it."

"I'm sure we will Ms. Sato" Ciaran replied, nodding his head as the woman said a quick goodbye and disappeared back into the school.

"Well that was slightly odd" Andrew stated, voicing the thoughts of the group as they turned away from the school and walked slowly back to the apartment complex where they lived, to prepare for the day of school ahead.

"Say, would you guys like to come over for a movie and dinner tonight? I make a mean curry" Ciaran questioned.

"Yeah sure" Klaus replied.

"I'm in" Andrew agreed as the group headed into the building and towards the bank of elevators.

"Well I'm in room 517. Show up for around…7-ish?" Ciaran said, to which both of the others nodded.

Both Ciaran and Andrew said goodbye to Klaus, who still had a few more floors to ride, as the British lad and the Canadian made their way to their rooms respectively and entered them.

While Ciaran got to pulling out the necessary materials to prepare his curry, both Klaus and Andrew sat in their respective rooms, with the latter turning on the computer, while the former continued to decorate his room to his taste.

Pulling up Google on the computer, Andrew began looking at the competition from the other schools that were part of Senshado, and trying to find out what types of tanks that they could possibly use in the fight.

After a little while, he left his apartment, to simply go next door to Ciaran's place to have dinner.

Knocking on the door, he was met with a slightly ragged Ciaran, looking close to wit's end.

"You alright bud?" Andrew asked, curious as he was let inside, waving to Klaus who was already there.

"Yeah dude" Ciaran said, brushing off the concern "I just get a little into cooking sometimes. Y'know, music playing, dancing around the kitchen and whatnot."

"Ah. Understood" Andrew replied, simply walking around and taking a seat at the table that Klaus was also at.

With that, Ciaran disappeared back into the kitchen to continue the work on dinner, which was served within five minutes of him disappearing.

"This is my chicken curry. I've been told it can be a tad spicy, so you've been warned" Ciaran said, before picking up his utensils "Well, dig in gentlemen."

The trio did, and soon enough, conversation was easily flowing between the youths as they relished in the spot on meal.

"So, what kind of tanks do you guys think we'll start off with?" Andrew asked after taking a sip of his water.

"I hope we get a Tiger. Tigers are my favorite" Klaus said after a second of thought.

"Personally, I wouldn't mind an Achilles Tank Destroyer in the lineup. That 17 pounder is deadly in the right hands" Ciaran stated, before turning to Andrew to see what he would want.

"Well, my family is long into tanks. My great-great grandfather was one of the first tankers in WWI, inside a Mk I British tank during the Battle of the Somme. My great grandfather fought in WWII, up through Italy in a Sherman, and then in Normandy with a Firefly.

"My grandfather was a volunteer tanker in Vietnam during that war, and my dad was in a Leopard MBT, out somewhere in the Middle East, and lost his right leg. They awarded him a Victoria Cross (VC) but he never talks about it.

"So tanking is kinda in my blood, but if I had to pick, I want an IS-2. Something about that huge 122mm gun ruining half a city block makes me smile."

"Makes sense" both Klaus and Ciaran said, before turning their attention back to the curry at hand and each of them taking a second helping.

"Kinda brought the mood down guys, sorry bout that" Andrew said sheepishly, taking his own second helping and finishing off the pot.

"Don't worry about it" Ciaran replied, waving him off "It's pretty cool that you come from such a long line of tankers. You'll fit right in here."

"And it helps that we both worked in a garage during the summer, and part time on the weekend, right Andrew?" Klaus asked, nudging Andrew slightly with his elbow.

"Yeah" Andrew replied, grinning "It should give us enough basic knowhow to do small field repairs, and general maintenance on the tanks."

"Good. Maybe you two lads can teach me a thing or two about it then. I know jack about it" Ciaran stated, drawing a round of chuckles from around the table.

"We won't let you drown in the info bud" Klaus said, patting the Brit on the arm.

"I should hope not" he replied after the laughter had died down.

The night wore on, and after a film from Netflix, the small trio said goodnight, and returned to their respective rooms.

Soon, the dishes were done, and each one of them was lying in bed, excited for the next day to come, and slightly nervous, because tomorrow, would be the day where they would get to see their tanks.

The first day of school was always fun…right?


	2. Time for Tanks!

**A/N:** Welp...it's been awhile. I've been lazy, sailing, and had a bad block so I haven't been able to work on anything that much, but my vacation has really made the creative juices flow. So I'll respond to reviews, and then leave you to enjoy the story. And please, leave a review, they do matter.

 **tforce:** Glad to see you're enjoying it. As it stands, it's before the GuP anime, so you'll need to see where that goes. As for a description for Klaus and Andrew, I'll get on that after the reviews. Have a good day.

 **Countryboy93:** They'll show up either next chapter, or the one after. Cheers.

 **Guest:** It will happen eventually.

 **iloveTanks:** Possibly. I'm not sure yet.

Now, a description for two of the main male characters, cause I forgot it.

 **Andrew Dixon:** Male, 6'0" Brown hair, short, and combed back a little bit, blue eyes, 18 years old, with an attire usually consisting of jeans, t-shirt, converse shoes, and a watch on his left wrist.

 **Klaus Schwere:** Male, 5'8" Black hair, short, but spiked, green eyes, 18 years old, attire of jeans, t-shirt with a denim jacket overtop, and loafers.

* * *

Finally, the dawn came, and with it, Andrew awoke, this time with more than an hour before he needed to be at school.

Getting dressed in the uniform he was given, all males were wearing black shoes, with black slacks, a grey dress shirt, and a black tie with a small golden clip, bearing the school motto 'Fight until the End.'

Chuckling slightly at the motto, he grabbed his backpack and swung it onto his shoulder before walking out into the hall, nearly bumping into Ciaran as he did.

"Whoop! Sorry there mate" Andrew said, taking a step back and locking the door.

"No harm done" Ciaran replied calmly, waiting for Andrew to finish so they could walk to school together.

"So, you nervous about the first day?" Andrew asked after they had exited the building and were walking down the road towards the school.

Klaus was going to meet them there, so no sense in waiting for him.

"Truthfully, I am somewhat nervous. Especially with this tank business" Ciaran confessed "I've never seen guys participate in this sport ever. Something about tradition."

"Pft. Tradition" Andrew scoffed "Guys are the ones actually risking their asses in the line of fire during a war, not women. They make a sport out of a deadly act, one that people die in a lot, sometimes needlessly."

"Understandable, but you need to see that this is also for teaching" Ciaran stated "Since this sport has been in effect, no major wars have broken out involving large factions of tanks. It's also good for the development of the brain, putting people in situations where they need to think outside the box to get out of."

"Point" Andrew conceited as the pair walked through the gates of the school where several students were already milling about, and Klaus was walking towards the pair.

"Morning" the German said to the two of them, straightening his tie as he did.

Andrew and Ciaran responded in kind, before the trio turned towards the school and walked into the large doors, looking for their Homeroom, before finding it on the second story and sitting down in the same row.

"No hat Ciaran? You look lost" Klaus joked, turning around to address his friend.

"I must admit, I do feel a little naked" the Briton muttered, patting the top of his head as the classroom began to fill up more, with at least a 3:1 ratio in favor of females.

Finally, the first bell rang, and a man walked into the room.

"Good morning class" he stated, his voice smooth as he took off his glasses and placed them on the desk "I'll be your homeroom teacher, and my name is Mr. Atago."

The morning passed in a blur for everyone pretty much, with all the tours around the school, the students asking questions, and mostly stumbling from class to class with the occasional person who would walk into the wrong room.

Soon enough, it was nearly time for the day to finish, but the entire school had been crowded into the auditorium to attend an assembly on all the electives that were available.

Band, sculpting, painting, accounting, plumbing and countless others were talked about by the student council, but one was missing…or so the boys thought.

As the student council walked off, the lights in the room dimmed and it was silent for a few seconds before an explosion caught the attention of all those in the room.

All of the sudden, tanks of all nationalities were rushing onto the screen.

Shermans, Stalins, Crusaders, and Panthers were just a couple of what the trio saw before it switched to a victory podium, with an announcer doing a dramatic voice over that they didn't really pay attention to.

When it was all said and done, the audience was pumped up. If there was one thing that always got adrenaline going, it was explosions and tanks.

The video continued for a few moments, highlighting the heart pounding, and blood pumping moments of the sport before it ended and the lights came back up.

"What you've just seen, is Senshado" one of the student council members stated "This elective is only open to female students and will be mitigated due to the small number of tanks that the school has on hand."

A collective groan went up from all those assembled in the hall, as three boys near the back shared a knowing smirk at what had just been said.

* * *

The final bell of the day rang, and all the students filed out of the auditorium, heading to their lockers to grab their backpacks and head back to their residence for the night.

"Have you guys noticed that the gals here are really…" Klaus trailed off, attempting to find the right word.

"Snobbish?" Andrew supplied.

"Bitchy?" Ciaran questioned.

"Cold" Klaus deadpanned "Like…ice cold. Sorta like they hate all the guys here."

"I've noticed that" Andrew stated "Have you noticed that Ciaran?"

"Yes, I have as well" the Briton replied as the three of them got to their lockers and grabbed their backpacks "What do you think the issue is?"

"Personally, I think it's due to the fact that male schools are on land in Japan, so the girls have never actually been to a co-ed school before, so they just don't like it cause they're not used to it" Klaus stated, giving the other two pause as they thought of the possibility of that being the solution.

"Sure let's go with that" Ciaran said after a moment as they slammed their lockers shut and began walking towards the front of the school.

Several days had passed since the first day of school, and an announcement came over the PA during lunch, catching everyone's attention.

 **"** **Attention students of Griffin Academy, could the members of the Senshado team please assemble outside the sheds at the rear of the school once the day has concluded."**

"Spose that's for us" Andrew said, as Klaus and Ciaran nodded in agreement.

Notes had gone out the day before informing the people, who had signed up for the sport, if they had made it.

There was no school wide announcement, no list on a bulletin board for all to see. Just a note inside a locker, presumably to keep quiet the fact that there was a trial period of males in the sport.

The rest of the day flew by, with the trio nearly bouncing with excitement over the prospect of finally getting to start the extra curricular that they had been asked to take part in, to show the world that men could participate in the sport just as well as women could.

Soon enough, a motley group of students, five males, and sixteen females, were standing outside the large sheds at the rear of the school.

The women, of course, were eyeing the guys with a mixture of curiosity, annoyance, and some slight hatred as well.

The guys were sticking together and not going anywhere near that powder keg.

The trio had met the other two guys in the small group, and were quite impressed about who had made it for the male side.

Yuri Taraslav, a Russian guy, built like (pardon the pun) a tank. Probably from a farm in the Ural Mountains or something, this guy looked like he could be the tank with his imposing height of 6'4"

The other one, Takayo Naomi, a Japanese student, smart as a whip this kid, and not just with math. Ask him anything that was remotely possible, and he could tell you the answer. It was like an eidetic memory.

"Good afternoon everyone" Ms. Sato said walking up to the group "I see you've all arrived like you were asked to, that means that you can meet your instructor and you can begin with your lessons immediately."

Another woman stepped out from behind the headmistress and introduced herself.

"Hello students, my name is Pauline Franklin, and I'll be your instructor. Before you ask, yes, I hail from the United States, but I've been in the military for quite a few years, and I've been selected to instruct you on your path to becoming Senshado champs. You may just refer to me as Pauline. No honorifics or anything."

Once again, mere words ratcheted the excitement of the group up about four notches as people thought about the spoils of victory.

"Now then" Pauline said "Let's open these doors and meet your new partners in crime. I've already got the list of who's in what tank, so you'll split the positions up on your own."

The doors of the huge garage opened slowly, as if to prolong the tense moment before and build even more excitement of everyone.

Finally, they were open, allowing the group to see what was inside, and Andrew, Klaus, and Ciaran were the first ones in there.

"Hey check it out! An E-25" Klaus said enthusiastically, automatically gravitating to the German tank like a magnet to metal.

"What's an E-25?" Ciaran asked as Klaus pet the tank.

"A paper panzer. Planned but never built" Andrew answered "It would've been built to replace the Panzer III and Panzer IV. 7.5cm Pak 42 L/70 gun with 60 rounds of ammunition, split between AP (Armor Piercing), APCR (Armor Piercing Composite Rigid), and HE (High Explosive). 138mm of penetration at 100 meters with standard AP.

"Looks like this one has the 20mm cannon on top with 300 rounds, top speed of 65km/h on road, with power provided by Maybach HL 230 TRM P30 with 700hp (horsepower) with a power to weight ratio of 26.62hp/t (horsepower per ton).

"Weak armor of 50mm at the front, 30mm at the sides and rear, but well sloped to help bounce some shots. All in all, a good, low profile ambush tank with the ability to redeploy quickly on the battlefield, but with weak penetration and slightly lacking armor."

"She's amazing" Klaus said, taking in the field grey paint scheme and frowning slightly "Could use a fresh coat. I'm thinking tri tone camo of yellow, green and brown."

"He'll be like that for a little while. Let's move on, shall we?" Andrew stated, causing Ciaran to nod.

What the two really didn't know was, that while Klaus was fawning over the E-25, the rest of the team had moved in to hear what they could about the tanks and get any background info on them that they could.

"Looks a little small" Ciaran said as they came upon the next tank.

"Well I should hope so" Andrew replied "It's a light tank. The BT-7M, also known as the BT-8. 45mm 20K gun with 188 rounds, AP, APCR, and HE like the E-25, with weaker penetration of 51mm for standard at 100m.

"This tank differed from the original BT-7 with the engine mainly. A 500hp V-2 diesel engine replaced the gasoline engine, enabling a 62km/h top speed with power to weight of 34.12hp/t.

"Armor is as weak as expected, with 15mm all over the turret, 20mm on the front of the hull, 15mm at the sides, 13mm at the rear and 10mm on top.

"Turret is electric drive with a backup of manual, and the Russians always had fast turret traverses.

"But what's really special about this tank, is the suspension…"

"What's so special about it? It's on tracks like all tanks" one girl yelled, informing them that they had indeed gathered the group.

"Correct" Andrew answered, slightly annoyed at the interruption "However, this suspension system is known as Christie Suspension, and this version, allows the tank to be driven without the tracks. T-34's, Cromwells, and a few other tanks have this type as well, but the BT series was mainly where it was driven hard, and where a large emphasis was placed on the wheels."

Moving along, Andrew wasn't surprised to see the tank, but he was surprised to see the rare variant of it.

"This is a Sherman, isn't it?" Ciaran asked, causing Andrew to nod.

"Yes, but this is a Sherman Grizzly. Built in Canada, I know very little about it. It's not a well documented tank really. Only 188 tanks of this type were built in Montreal between 1943-1944. A very solid high velocity 75mm M3 L/40 gun was used, offering a modest penetration of 92mm at 100m using standard AP. Turret is a hydraulic traverse driven electrically by its own dedicated motor.

"With a somewhat weak 400hp engine, it could propel the tank along at a maximum speed of 38.6km/h with a power to weight ratio of 13.37hp/t. The reasoning behind this is the enhanced armor of 75mm at the front to the M4's 50mm. I also want to say that the side and rear armor has also been increased, but I've not seen any reference materials regarding it."

Strutting leisurely along, the next tank in line cause Andrew to whistle in appreciation.

"Well, an A34 Comet. Didn't think I'd see one of these here" he mused.

By now, Klaus had rejoined the group at the front and stepped up beside Andrew.

"What a beaut" he stated, hands on hips as he admired the British engineering behind the tank.

"You can say that again" Andrew said, running his hand along the front of the tank "77mm High Velocity with 61 rounds of ammo, 139mm of penetration at 100m, full electric traverse with 20 degrees of gun elevation and 14 degrees of depression.

"Powerplant of a 600hp Rolls Royce Meteor Mark III V12 Petrol engine, offering 18.3hp/t with a speed of 52km/h, five forward and one reverse gear and a total weight of 32.7 tons.

"Armor is 74mm at the hull front, sides are 45mm, rear is 32-25mm thick. Turret front of 102mm, sides of 64mm, and a rear of 57mm. This thing has an awesome gun, and quite good speed, but the armor is mostly flat. However, if it sticks to a hull down position, it should be okay."

The group approached the last tank with trepidation, wondering what it could be.

"Is that…" Ciaran trailed off, a look of slight awe on his face.

"It is" Andrew breathed, taking in the tank in front of him "It's…a Firefly."

"The Sherman Firefly. Upgunned big brother of the M4 Sherman, mounting a 17 pounder with a penetration of 171mm at 100m holding 77 rounds of ammunition. Hydraulic traverse driven electrically with it's own motor like the Grizzly.

"425hp engine offering a power to weight of 11.8hp/t and a solid speed of 40km/h and a weight of 34.75 tons.

"Armor on the turret at the front, 76mm, sides, 50mm, and the rear is 64mm. Hull front is at 51mm, sides at 45mm and rear of 38mm.

"This tank right here, is a killer. Modified to fight the largest tanks Germany was fielding at the time, that gun could knock out a Tiger at a kilometer or more from the front. My grandfather spent his time in one of these on the Western Front, and has six Tiger kills to his name, and five Panthers to boot as well."

There was an inscription on the side of the tank that was simple, yet elegant in its own right.

 _"_ _Lady Victoria"_

"Guess you're Victoria now then" Andrew muttered to the tank, patting it on the flank before turning back to the group.

"A little rushed, but you can all get to know the tanks inside and out once teams have been assigned" Pauline informed the groups "They've also been selected among your friends, but in the case of the males, you'll mostly be broken up.

"But onto tank assignments! Dixon, Malone, Schwere, Ru, Vincent! You've got the Comet. Treat her well.

"Taraslav, Millcone, Kano! The BT-7M belongs to you three!

"Collingwood, Schmidt, Forsyth, Jackson! You'll be crewing the Firefly. Make sure to keep that gun in tip top condition if you want to hit anything.

"LeClair, Akaboshi, Soryu, Naomi! Meet the E-25. This is your pride and joy for the next year.

"Finally, Ando, Rockwell, Wu, Lawson, Petrov! Take the Grizzly. That'll be yours until the end of the year."

She looked over the paper at the students in front of her, and with a small grin said "Alright, you have half an hour to learn the systems of your tanks, then we're going to have a battle right here. Get to it."

Andrew couldn't help but give Klaus a high five as the two of them approached their tank, followed by the three girls who would also be crewing it.

They stopped in front of the tank, with Klaus leaning against the upper front plate and Andrew resting a hand along the side of the gun and lightly putting some weight on it.

"I suppose introductions are in order then, yes?" Andrew said, looking at the three girls who would be with them "Well I'm Andrew Dixon. I hail from Southern Ontario in Canada, Toronto specifically, and I look forward to working with you."

Klaus took it away next "Klaus Schwere. Nice to meet you all. I'm from the same place he is, we went to high school together for a few years then came here, and yes, I am originally from Germany before you ask."

The pair of guys noticed the trio of girls shuffling their feet a little and looking at one another, as if to dare the other to go first.

It wasn't like they were going to get their heads bitten off, but they sure as hell acted like they were.

Finally, one of the girls stepped up.

She had short ginger hair, was about 5'9" with green eyes, and Andrew recognized her from one of the classes earlier that day.

"I'm Marisa Malone" she stated, a slight southern twang in her voice "I'm from the US. Texas to be exact, but I'm big on tanks and military history. Hopefully this will be fun."

A short Asian girl stepped up next after Marisa had taken a step back.

She had short black hair, stood at around 5'2" with light hazel eyes and a welcoming smile on her face

"Hi. My name is Zhan Ru. I'm really excited to be doing this with you all. I've watched several matches online and they look really neat."

She took a step back and the last of the three, a girl with long blond hair, grey eyes, and a modest height of 5'5" took the spotlight.

"Danielle Vincent, but I prefer Dani. Born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, also from Canada like you two. Let's give it our all and maybe win something."

"Well then" Andrew said after a moment "Does anyone know what position in the tank they want?"

"Gunner!" Marisa shouted, putting her hand up as fast as possible "Did a lot of shooting back in Texas so I know what's up."

"I'm pretty good with electronics" Zhan piped up "I guess I could be the radio operator in the tank."

"Guess I'll be the loader then" Klaus shrugged "Those shells can get pretty heavy after awhile."

"Fine" Dani muttered "Guess I'm the driver then. And you're stuck being the commander Andrew."

"Great" he said flatly, pulling himself up on the tank before Pauline came back in followed by two large pallets of boxes.

"Uniforms" she clarified "You've each got one in a box. Take it to the locker rooms by the gym and put them on. If you're gonna fight in tanks, you might as well look like you belong in them too."

With that, she left the crews to it, as they went through and began sorting through the boxes, people in a constant file out of the garage heading back towards the school at a brisk pace.

Within ten minutes, everyone was back in the garage dressed appropriately for commanding their tanks.

The guys were wearing grey pants tucked into cavalry style boots, with a grey shirt underneath a black tunic.

The females had a grey skirt, with the same style boots as the men, as well as the grey shirt and black tunic.

Some people had the sleeves of their tunics rolled up past the elbow, some only did it to just below the elbow, and a few people kept their sleeves down.

It was personal preference really.

The crews were mostly staring up at the tanks, wondering how to get into them, as Andrew stepped onto a road wheel and pulled himself up to a standing position on the engine deck.

Klaus quickly followed his example and pulled himself up to the deck with Andrew.

"Alright, driver and radio op in first to your positions" Andrew said "Myself, Klaus and Marisa will enter after because we're in the turret."

Slowly, everyone settled into their positions in the tank, putting on their headsets and microphones to allow communication through the tank as they got comfortable.

"Everyone good?" Andrew asked over the channel, receiving a bunch of affirmative replies which made him smile a little bit "Alright, let's get this show on the road. Dani, start the engine please."

"Roger" she said over the comm, her voice a little fuzzy as the five of them felt the tank shudder before the starter caught and turned over the engine, increasing the volume inside the tank exponentially.

Sticking his head outside the tank, Andrew watched the plume of exhaust rise slowly into the garage behind the tank.

"Alright, put it in first and let's roll outta here, stopping about fifteen yards from the doors" he stated, hearing the tank drop into first gear and slowly roll forward.

Until it shuddered and the engine died.

"It's been awhile since I drove standard, gimmie a minute" Dani said, pushing in the clutch and starting the tank again, before slowly letting off and applying enough gas to keep them from stalling.

"Take your time. We're in no rush" Zhan said beside her.

The tank began to roll forward out of the garage, the transmission engaging second gear as they sped up a little out of the garage, turning into the large, grassy field just outside the doors.

"That's good Dani. Park it here" Andrew called over the intercom, before the tank jostled to a stop.

 _"_ _We'll need to work on that. Can't jostle the tank too much when we need to fire right away after we stop"_ he thought, looking behind him at the other tanks cautiously making their way out of the sheds.

Looking at his watch, Andrew saw they had about ten minutes before the match was due to start, and then they needed to get to their starting position, _and_ then the match could finally begin.

"Put it in neutral and put the brake on. We have a little bit before we need to depart. In that time, take a quick look over your systems" Andrew said, getting a chorus of replies as he looked at the lush, green field in front of him with a forest off to the side.

The hatch beside Andrew opened and out popped Klaus' head, looking around before stilling, the only sound between the pair was the idling engine.

"This is bloody awesome" Klaus said quietly, looking over at Andrew, who nodded and grinned.

"Who'd-a-thunk it that we'd be here right now, in a tank?" he asked the German, who shrugged.

"We have a full load of ammunition. 50 rounds of AP and 11 of HE. That should be more than enough for what we're going up against" Klaus stated.

"The two that I'm nervous about are the E-25, which is a tiny target, and the Firefly, which has that damn 17 pounder" Andrew replied, removing his headphones and running a hand through his hair.

Putting the earphones back on, the order finally came down.

 **"** **Ladies, and gentlemen, start your tanks! Maps are inside your tanks with the radio operator, and they show you your starting location. Get there, and then the battle will begin!"**

"Alright you heard her!" Andrew stated "Let's get this show on the road. Zhan, if you could send the map this way, I'll direct Dani to our start spot."

As requested, the map was passed through the tank and Andrew got it.

 _"_ _Alright, so we're starting in the woods, not on a path. Good ambush locations, to get there, dirt path, fork left, keep going, third right, and into the woods next to a large rock"_ he thought, relaying that to Dani.

At once, like a shot, the Comet was off, shifting through first, then second, before settling in third at a comfortable 30km/h at least, creating a large dust plume behind them.

They forked, came to the turn, and finally came to the rock, which Dani backed them behind to keep them out of sight lest anyone come by on the way to their starting location and find them by accident and have an advantage.

What seemed like an hour later (in reality, it was like ten minutes), Pauline came on the radio addressing all tanks,

 **"** **Everyone's reached their starting positions! Remember, Senshado begins and ends with a bow, so bow! And let the match start!"**

Most were unsure about the bow, but they were a hundred percent sure of one thing.

The hunt, was on!


	3. Finally! A Fight!

**A/N:** Hey guys! Nope, not dead yet. The holidays are behind us, and I hope everyone enjoyed them.

I'm still off work until next Monday, but I fly back home on Friday.

Anyhow, here's chapter 3 of this story. Hope you're all ready for some tank action!

As always, read and review. Cheers!

* * *

 **Finally! A Fight!**

* * *

"Okay folks, that's the start!" Andrew stated, sticking his head out of the commander's hatch of the tank and listening.

The only sounds were the light rumble of the Rolls Royce Meteor engine behind them, and the occasional breeze blowing through the trees.

"We'll hold here for five minutes, and then move south down the road until the next crossing." he said, glancing at his watch.

The given amount of time seemed to drag by, and without any confirmed sightings of any of the other tanks, they began to move through the woods off the main drag to get to the next road crossing.

All the while, the crew scanned out from their viewports, sans Klaus and Andrew who had their heads poked up through the hatches, offering an unobstructed, 360-degree view.

"Well…I ain't got jack here." Andrew said flatly after a few moments of silence, letting his binoculars hang down around his neck.

"Ditto." Klaus answered, still peering around with a hand over his eyes to shield them from the glare of the sun.

"Let's move." Andrew ordered, thumbing the mic.

"You got it." Dani radioed back, starting the engine and shifting into gear, before pulling back onto the road and rumbling along.

Andrew smiled at how safe that people were actually able to make a seriously dangerous sport.

Considering that there were tanks firing projectiles at each other, there were bound to be some injuries, but they were kept to a minimum…or tried to anyways.

You still had a solid object accelerated to hundreds of meters per second flying through the air, which were designed to shatter upon impact with the tank (unless it struck at an angle severe enough to bounce) and let the onboard computer systems designate if the hit was fatal, there were known incidents where people have broken bones due to a round hitting them while outside the tank.

Usually it was the commander getting hurt, because they had to stick their bodies out to get an accurate picture of the surrounding battleground, and being buttoned up inside the tank with only narrow vision slats to look out of and no sense of sound over the roaring engine, it really limited the picture they could form.

There was also the story of where someone nearly died after being knocked out of the cupola by a shell, and then nearly being run over by their panzer when the driver panicked and reversed.

They were saved by another quick-thinking tank commander who broke the rules and jumped out of her tank to save the person, but it was too close for comfort.

But that didn't deter Andrew as he sat on the turret top, legs dangling inside the structure as he scanned for threats, ready to drop down into the turret at a moments notice.

"Keep an eye out everyone. They could be anywhere." he muttered over the communications.

A high-pitched whine screamed past their tank, causing Andrew to shout "Stop!"

The comet skidded to a halt as he looked around and spotted another vehicle right as a shell was fired at them, screaming by once again.

"Traverse right 10 degrees! Target the BT-7M!" he yelled, ducking into the turret as it traversed quickly.

"Cyka blyat! I'm a terrible shot!" Yuri shouted as he pressed his eye to the gunsight in the light tank, taking another shot, and missing.

"Uhhh…their turret is turning this way…" the driver mused, as another shell was slammed into the breech.

"Damn! Get us out of here!" he ordered, as the engine revved up.

It was at this moment, Yuri knew he fucked up.

The 77mm high velocity gun fired from the Comet, planting a shell squarely in the front of the BT-7M and knocking it out.

The stench of cordite filled the turret of the tank as the spent casing was ejected from the gun and clattered to the floor of the turret basket.

"Good hit!" Andrew cried "Knocked out the BT-7M!"

All around him congratulations went up.

"Our first kill!" Klaus grinned, giving Marisa a friendly pat on the shoulder.

"That was…exciting." Zhan whispered, a small smile on her face.

"Good one!" Dani offered, starting forward once again.

 **"** **BT-7M has been knocked out! 4 teams remain!"** Pauline said over the radio as the Comet pulled behind another rock off the beaten path overlooking a crossroad.

"Now remember, if you're in a light tank, your strengths are your small size and high speed. You can get around enemies easily and fire into their rear armor, but if you try to attack a target from a stationary position in front of them, you're as good as dead." Andrew informed his crew as the engine was once again turned off to allow them all to listen for any sign of the enemy.

They didn't need to wait long before they heard the telltale rumbling of an engine approaching towards them.

"Load AP. Eyes focused on the crossroads." Andrew murmured into his microphone.

"Gun up!" Klaus called, the metallic _clang_ of the breechblock closing signified that a round was loaded.

"Sighted in on the crossroads." Marisa called, eye pressed to the sight, and finger hovering over the trigger.

"Patience." Andrew breathed, his eyes scanning the road some 80 meters distant with his binoculars, watching for any flicker of movement.

"Sherman! Grizzly! Range, 120 meters! Traverse left 5 degrees! Fire at will!" he shouted, finally seeing the source of the racket clattering down the dirt road.

 _"_ _We'll need to look over that engine. She sounds pretty rough"_ Andrew thought as the gun fired and the tank rocked back on its suspension.

"Miss!" he called, watching the round kick up a cloud of dirt right in front of the Sherman.

The turret of the Grizzly began to slowly traverse towards them and the gun fired while the tank was still in motion.

"Rule number two. If you can afford to stop and fire, do so, because you'll be far more accurate." Andrew mused, as the 77mm gun fired once again, this time, burying the shell into the flank of the Grizzly.

A little white flag popped out of the top of the turret, signifying the tank as knocked out.

"Beauty! There goes another one!" Andrew yelled as he smacked his palm on the top of the turret "Lovely shooting Marisa!"

"Naturally!" Andrew heard her call from her seat, and he chuckled as he could imagine the girl brushing her hair back smoothly.

 **"** **The Sherman Grizzly has been eliminated! 3 tanks on the field!"** Pauline called to them all, her voice seemingly more excited than before.

"Three left, and we're one, but the other two are the E-25 and the Firefly." Klaus mused, poking his head up once again through his hatch and looking at Andrew.

"I know. Not the best situation. I'd rather have one kill the other. Then at least we don't need to fight two difficult opponents." Andrew replied.

A heavy _BOOM_ caused both of them to duck their heads out of instinct.

"That was the Firefly." Klaus said, before the same noise occurred again a few seconds later.

"And they missed their first shot." Andrew grinned thinly "Dani, take the next right, and then we're going bushwhacking after that."

"You wanna sneak up on them? In the middle of their duel?" Klaus asked, realization dawning on him at what his friend was doing.

"If we can indeed sneak up on them, we'll get a two for one. Knock out whoever we feel like, but I have a better idea." Andrew replied cryptically "But for now, put some AP in the breech and be ready to work."

"You got it boss." Klaus said, giving a mock salute before disappearing back into the turret.

"Remember Klaus," Andrew shouted after ducking his head in the tank "The only rule when you're fighting in tanks is to stay alive. Use everything to your advantage, especially when your enemy is distracted."

"Understood." the German answered, slamming a fresh shell into the cannon breech as Dani turned off the road and into the woods, causing the ride to get rough.

"Ready for action everyone. A minute or so until we're in the heat!" Andrew called over the comm, as the Firefly fired again, the gun much louder than before.

But no shot came sailing past them, so it was safe to say, that they were still busy with the E-25.

"Man, I could use a beer." Klaus muttered, unaware that he was talking to everyone in the tank.

"You and me both brother." Andrew replied, satisfied when his loader jumped slightly "But none of that swill you drink."

"Hey! My beer is good!" Klaus defended, as the girls in the tank struggled to not laugh at the squabble going on between the two.

"Whatever you say. Now focus on keeping that gun fed Fritz." Andrew joked.

"Fritz! Now see here you bozo…" Klaus trailed off, as the massive shock from the Firefly's gun sounded once again, causing Andrew to poke his head up.

"Halt!" he shouted, causing the tank to once again, skid to a stop "Firefly, 40 meters ahead."

Scanning the area with his binoculars, he spotted the drab grey of the E-25 off some ways away.

"E-25, 200 meters ahead, 5 degrees to the right of the Firefly's muzzle break. Target the E-25 but don't fire until I give the order." Andrew stated, watching carefully.

The Firefly fired once again, the sound of the 17-pounder gun reverberating all around them, but missing the E-25 by a few feet, the shell falling short.

"Boy this team needs to work on gunnery." he mused, mentally counting the seconds in his head at how long the reload took them.

"So, about ten seconds per shot." he muttered, watching as the E-25 and the Firefly fired, both shells missing their mark.

Time ticked by, tension mounted in the tank as the Firefly fired its gun once again.

"Alright, get ready," Andrew ordered, holding a hand up slightly, counting down the seconds in his mind.

"FIRE!" he called, and both the 77mm HV gun and the 17-pounder on the Firefly spat shells at the exact same time.

The Firefly once again, missed the shot, but Marisa didn't, smacking the E-25 square on the drivers slat and knocking the tank destroyer out of the fight.

"Reload and target the rear of the Firefly! Quickly!" Andrew shouted, urgency and fear in his voice as the tank in question began to traverse its turret around.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll load you in a minute. These shells are heavy!" Klaus grunted, slamming a shell home.

"Fire when ready Marisa!" Andrew said, which was nearly drowned out by the 77mm gun launching its payload at the rear of the Firefly.

The shell penetrated, causing the engine to brew up, which quickly died down as the automatic fire suppression came into effect.

"We'll need to fix that." Klaus groaned, looking at the other tank.

Hatches popped open on the Firefly and their commander, Cera Collingwood, or C.C. poked her head out, long green hair falling all around her slightly dirty face.

"You'll pay for that Dixon!" she shouted, but the smile on her face said the truth.

"Don't count on it." Andrew called back "You couldn't even hit a stationary target, and you were buttoned up, so you couldn't see or hear us sneaking up, and we weren't quiet at all! Tell Ciaran we're sorry for killing you guys."

 **"** **And that's all folks! Leave your tanks where they fell, and make your way back to the staging area. Your machines will be retrieved and repaired."** Pauline laughed, glee evident in her voice.

"Can you give us a lift?" C.C. asked, to which Andrew motioned for them all to hop on.

The four members of the Firefly left their tank and climbed onto the Comet for the trip back to the sheds.

"Well you lads sure didn't waste any time." Ciaran said flatly, making conversation as the started back.

"Of course not." Andrew laughed "Killed everything on the field, which reminds me, kick some sense into your gunner. You kept falling short."

"We'll sort it out at the range. We've already had a talk about it." C.C. muttered from her seat on top of the engine deck, shooting a pointed glance at Ciaran, who turned a little red and looked away.

The lighthearted banter and ribbing continued until they made it to the starting area, where the other three crews, and Pauline, were waiting for them.

"Great work everyone!" she said once all crews arrived and the engine in the Comet shut off.

"I haven't seen a team do that well in a long time, for a first match, but we've found areas that could use improvement," she continued "But, you're all finished for today. I'll see you all here tomorrow after class."

* * *

Pretty much everyone dispersed at that, except for Klaus and Andrew, who stood waiting.

"Ready to get to work?" Klaus asked, beginning to unbutton his tunic.

"Hell yeah. Let's see what makes these kittens purr." Andrew replied, throwing his tunic to the side and rolling up his sleeves.

Klaus grabbed a wrench roll and tossed it to Andrew.

"Metric for Germans and whatnot, imperial for American variants, which is stupid." Klaus grumbled, grabbing his own roll and walking to the Grizzly.

"Oi! Lads! We got the green light to take off. What are you still doing here?" Ciaran called from the hanger doors.

"The Grizzly sounded a little off and the Firefly took a hard hit in the ass as you know. Want to check the interiors. See if anything's funky." Andrew informed the Briton.

"Oh…mind if I tag along? Learn a thing or two?" Ciaran asked the two.

"Of course bud, get up here!" Klaus called, as he loosened a few bolts on the engine deck of the Grizzly and swung the plate upwards to reveal the Continental R-975 9-cylinder radial engine.

Andrew grinned, watching his two friends begin animatedly discussing the finer points of a radial engine, and why it was chosen to go into the tank.

"Let's see what's in your belly then." he mused to himself, opening up the engine compartment.

 _"_ _A Chrysler A57 multibank? Man, I haven't seen one of those in years"_ he thought, looking at the greasy, dirty engine.

Everything was covered in a white fog from the fire suppression system, and Andrew grabbed a rag.

* * *

It was going to be slow going cleaning everything up, and then inspecting for damage.

Hours later, the three friends were covered in sweat, grease, and oil as they flipped the engine covers back into place and secured them.

"How'd the replacement of that fuel pump go?" Andrew asked the pair once the tools had been put away.

"Easy enough" Klaus shrugged, taking a bottle of water from the workbench and drinking it down "Ah, that hit the spot."

"The Firefly was fine naturally. Just a mess of fire smothering agent to clean up. That, and the engine compartment hasn't seen any love in a long time." Andrew replied, wiping his hands with a rag.

"I don't know about you two, but I'm beat. I'll see you guys tomorrow at school." Ciaran said, waving to the pair as he headed out to go home.

"So long mate! Have a good night" Klaus called as he put his uniform tunic back on and buttoned it up.

"Man, I could use some food." Andrew stated as they walked out of the large sheds and out onto the grassy field.

His stomach grumbled, as if to emphasize the point.

That caused both of them to chuckle as they headed around to the front of the school and out the gates.

"Where do you wanna eat?" Klaus asked as they strolled down the street, hands in their pockets.

"I dunno." Andrew shrugged, looking across the road "Where do you wanna eat?"

"How bout there?" Klaus nodded, pointing to a restaurant up ahead of the pair.

"Margaux? Leave it to you to find probably the only German restaurant on the entire ship!" Andrew chided, as they walked through the door of the place.

There was a welcoming décor and both students were quickly seated, looking over the menu's placed in front of them.

"Well I'm torn between the sauerbraten and the schnitzel, how about you?" Klaus said, looking over his menu.

"Thinking I'll get the eintopf. I've always had a soft spot since your mom introduced me to it." Andrew replied, closing the booklet and putting it down in front of him.

Soon enough, a waiter came by and took their orders, and both were amicably chatting away when a familiar face walked by their table.

"Hey Marisa!" Andrew called, and she whipped around to face the pair "Want to join us for dinner?"

After what looked like a moment of thought, she shrugged her shoulders and slid in the booth next to Klaus.

"What's up guys? Didn't think you'd be in here." she said, picking up a menu and looking at it.

"Well considering he's a dirty kraut, and I like the food and know the language, it's kinda a no brainer." Andrew shrugged, shooting Klaus a placating smile to show he was only kidding around.

"Lower class Ukrainian." Klaus replied, sticking his tongue out "But what brings you in here Marisa?"

"My grandparents used to live in Essen. They came to Texas after the war." she said, browsing the menu.

"Essen was bombed pretty heavily during the war. Huge industry there in the Ruhr Valley." Klaus mused, as Marisa placed her order.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that where Krupp had their factory? That's why it was such a valuable target." Andrew thought out loud as Marisa turned back to them.

"Yeah, Grandpa worked for Krupp most of the war. He fought in the Invasion of Poland and in France, but they discharged him after the fall of Paris because he had been shot in the leg." Marisa replied, looking at the pair.

"So cool that you have a historic ancestor like Andrew does." Klaus muttered, smiling slightly as Marisa looked to the other guy.

"Really? Who do you have?" she questioned, looking thoughtful.

"Well, it's sort of a lineage thing. My great-great grandfather was one of the first tankers in WWI, inside a Mk I British tank during the Battle of the Somme. My great grandfather fought in WWII, up through Italy in a Sherman, and then in Normandy with a Firefly.

"My grandfather was a volunteer tanker in Vietnam during that war in an Australian Centurion Mk V, and my dad was in a Leopard MBT in the middle east. And then there's me, here now."

Andrew looked off to the side, mutely thinking through the story to see if he forgot anything, but shrugged as their food arrived.

"That's really cool though." Marisa said after a mouthful "I bet they're really proud that you're here doing this."

"Yeah." Andrew replied, smiling weakly "Gramps couldn't contain himself. Said I was a chip off the ol' block."

"Who knows. Maybe you'll be the captain of the team." Klaus joked, as the friends laughed and continued their meal.

Looking forward, they would remember what was said at that meal for a long time to come, because the school season had yet to really kick off.

But when it did, it was gonna be fun.


	4. Meeting and Greeting

**A/N:** Hello all. Been a bit, but I'm still around and working on stories, this one included. I just seem to have too many projects on the go! Couple that with sailing for work and all the tasking's I'm getting, and I'm pretty swamped.

Anyways, enough of my excuses. Here's the long awaited chapter 4.

Remember to leave a review if you feel like it!

* * *

 **Meeting and Greeting**

* * *

Two weeks had passed since that first battle, and everyone was finally falling into rhythm at the new school.

Finally, the boys were being more accepted into the school routines.

And hey, the team had been hard at work 3 days out of each week and every Saturday practicing gunnery, mechanics, and having mock battles.

Finishing practice for the day, the team began the routine maintenance on their tanks, when a broadcast from the loudspeaker drew their attention.

 ** _"_** ** _Attention! Andrew Dixon and Cera Collingwood please report to the Student Council Office! Andrew Dixon and Cera Collingwood to the Student Council Office!"_**

Shrugging at his friends, he caught up with C.C. as they headed out of the garages.

"So, what do you suppose this is about?" Andrew finally asked when they entered the school.

"I dunno. We'll find out pretty soon though." she replied as they wound their way through the halls towards the office.

Knocking on the door, they heard "Come in." float through the wood, and, shrugging to each other, they walked in the office where the student council sat.

Well, the council and Pauline, the latter of which caused them to look in confusion at the council.

"Thank you both for arriving so quickly." the Vice-President, an American lad named Thomas Parkland said to the pair "The President has a proposition for you both."

The President of the council was a Japanese girl named Shinju Yamasaki.

No nonsense, tough but fair, she was the perfect choice to lead the school.

"You've both been chosen based on the assessment of the Senshado instructor to be given the position of Commander and Deputy Commander.

"Andrew, based on your family history, and your tactical knowledge displayed in the battles on the field, as well as your...somewhat startling intellect when dealing with tanks, you will be the commander of the Griffon Academy Senshado Team.

"Your second, is Cera, who will take over should anything happen to you in battle. The two of you work well together, and you have a strong team underneath you. Griffin is lucky to have such skilled tank commanders."

She handed the two of them black peak caps, embroidered with the school logo, a Griffin clutching a spear, in the center. Andrew's had gold filigree in the brim while C.C. had a lesser amount of filigree, but enough to show that she was a critical member of the command team.

"Are…you certain you want me as the commander of this team?" Andrew asked with hesitance, running his fingers over the Griffin on the cap badge, watching the light reflect off it.

'There's nobody we want more to lead this team Andrew." Pauline said, standing up "You've got skill out there on the field, that's for sure. With you leading, we might actually place quite well in the standings."

"I see." he mused, putting the cap on his head "I accept your assignment as commander of the team. I'll do my best in the coming battles."

"Looks like I have no choice to accept as well then, eh?" Cera questioned, smiling slightly as she brushed her green hair back "We've got a lot of planning and preparation to do for the future."

"Just to let you both know," Shinju stated before they left "The ceremony to pull numbers for the competition will be held in a week. The first match will be two weeks later. Be ready."

"We will." Andrew replied after a moment of pause "We'll be ready."

As he and C.C. walked slowly back, the full weight at what had occurred fell upon them.

Pausing in the hall, his mind raced at the implications of what he had accepted.

"So…we've got this team in our hands. Let's do our best to win." Andrew muttered as he started walking, catching up with C.C. and continuing towards the garages where the team was waiting for them.

* * *

"Oi you two were gone for awhile! Fancy hats!" Ciaran called out when he noticed that Andrew and Cera had returned.

"All, I'd like to make an announcement! Gather round please" Andrew shouted, catching everyone's attention.

The level of activity in the garages dropped as everyone crowded around Andrew and C.C. who were standing on top of a wooden crate containing spare track links for the E-25.

"In regards to the student council meeting that C.C. and I just attended, we've got some news. First off, and the biggest bombshell, I've been chosen as the team commander, while C.C. is the deputy commander.

"Secondly, our first competition match is in roughly three weeks, and we have no idea who we're facing just yet. We're pulling numbers to pick fights in a week's time, so we haven't got very long."

Excited murmurs ran through the assembled crews as they thought about the prospects of finally getting in a real match.

"Now, I know you're all itching for a fight," Andrew continued, crossing his arms and looking at the team "And you're all making excellent progress in the field, but we're going to need to train harder in preparation for the first battles.

"Which is why we're going to extend practices by one full hour during the weekdays, and from 10am to 7pm on Saturdays. We have yet to perform a battle or practice at night, so we'll be working on that as well when we have time."

The collection of groans that ran through the people in front of him did little to sway his opinion on the matter.

"While I don't know how far we'll rank this year, I personally want to see this team do as good as it can, showing all those other schools that Griffin is no pushover. That, while we may be new, we are not to be underestimated." he chuckled, taking his cap off and running his fingers through his hair.

"You all did well today. Finish any immediate maintenance, and then get out of here and enjoy your evenings." Andrew told them all, which resulted in a cheer as the various members of each tank rushed off to tidy up and then depart.

"Well _commander_ , how goes it?" Klaus asked when he made his way over to the Comet.

The crew had chosen to repaint it from the sandy brown to more of a flat green, as most of the battles fought would probably be in a woodland setting.

"Same as usual bud. Finished with all the work on this girl?" Andrew questioned, patting the tank on the flank.

"Yeah. I told the ladies to take off once you finished your little speech there. Me and the guys were going to get some wings and play some pool if you're interested in joining us?" Klaus offered, leaning against the Comet.

Andrew looked off to where Ciaran, Yuri and Takayo were waiting and shrugged.

"You know I'm in." he said, wrapping an arm around his best friend's shoulder and heading over to the other guys.

"Well lads, let's change and get some wings!" Ciaran cheered with a smile, leading the way to the lockers where their regular uniforms were.

The quintet made their way into one of the local bars, and as drinking ages were reflective of what country they were from, everyone was legal to buy alcohol…except Ciaran.

Though alcohol laws were rather lax in Japan, nobody paid it any mind when the Briton ordered a pint as they sat around the table, placing orders for several pounds of wings.

"So, I propose a toast," Klaus stated, everyone raising their drinks "To our new commander!"

"To the commander!" they chorused, taking various size pulls from their glasses and mugs.

"Aw geez guys, making me all misty eyed over here!" Andrew joked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Yeah yeah, you big softy." Klaus chuckled, punching him lightly on the shoulder as the waitress dropped off another round of drinks.

"So, how's everyone finding the semester?" Ciaran asked after they had all settled down.

"Better than my old school in Volgograd. Much better. The people are much nicer, though the drinks are weaker." Yuri mused to the group, eliciting a laugh from them all.

"We've not gotten together as a group yet, so this has been overdue." Andrew told them all "I'm neighbours with Ciaran, and Klaus is one of my friends from home, but I'm pleased that we're all hanging out together."

It was at that moment that their food arrived, forcing most conversation to cease as the ravenous lads dug in with vigour.

"Everyone feeling good for the first battle in three weeks?" Andrew asked between mouthfuls of saucy chicken.

"I think we will do quite well." Takayo spoke up, wiping his fingers on a napkin "We appear to have a fortuitous lineup of decent tanks."

"Agreed." Ciaran chimed in "The worst we have is probably the Grizzly, but it's still not a terrible tank. There's a lot worse that it could've been…like a Type 89!"

"Or a bloody Matilda!" Klaus guffawed.

"Or a pile of crap made by Renault!" Yuri laughed, slamming a fist against the table and causing them all to break down into various states of chuckles.

"Oi! I was promised a few games of pool, let's get on with it." Andrew stated, getting up and gesturing to the unused pool tables in the back of the bar "Be forewarned though, I've yet to lose a game."

"Pound sand you always win!" Klaus shouted, grabbing his beer and chalking a cue "You rack, and I'm gonna break, and we'll see who's going to win."

"I play the winner!" Ciaran called, taking a seat on one of the stools while Yuri and Takayo set up their own game.

The sound of boisterous laughter, clinking glasses, and the sharp _*crack*_ of pool balls striking one another continued for a couple of hours until the boys finally got tired and broke off for the evening one at a time.

Ciaran, Klaus, and Andrew all went together, as they lived in the same block, laughing about how enjoyable the night was.

Thankfully, it was a normal school day tomorrow, with no practice scheduled for after classes, so they'd be free to head home and relax.

* * *

"Well, we're here. Are you two nervous?" Pauline asked as they stepped out of the rented car in front of the huge hall.

The carrier had pulled in earlier that day to Kure, alongside several others, and the classes had let out early to allow people to explore the city.

Practices had even been cancelled in preparation for the Senshado command team to prepare their uniforms and prepare mentally for the evening ahead.

He had spent two hours polishing his boots to a mirror shine and ensuring that there were no loose threads or pieces of lint on his tunic.

Placing the black peak cap onto his head and helping C.C. out of the car, he grinned confidently.

"A little, but I'm more excited than anything. The team has really been gelling." Andrew chuckled as the trio headed for the entrance to the building.

"I must agree with your sentiment." C.C. stated, walking a step or two ahead of them and entering the hall "Our tactics are really coming along. We should ask the Student Council to set up a practice match before our first game so we can see how we do against another team."

"Heh…right…about that…" Pauline trailed off, rubbing the back of her neck as they walked through the halls "A match has been set up for next week against Saunders High School."

"Ah Saunders." Andrew mused, rubbing his chin "American armor primarily. Sherman's of all types. The commander, Kay, is an old friend of mine. Level headed girl though a little boisterous."

"You know Kay?" Pauline questioned, surprise obvious in her tone.

"Know her? Hell, Kay and I grew up together. She moved away when we were thirteen to Japan. Kept in contact with her. I think she'll be quite shocked that I'm here now as well." Andrew chuckled, shaking his head.

"So, why not send her an email asking what their lineup is?" C.C. asked, looking back slightly at him.

"Why bother?" Andrew replied, shrugging "It'll be variants of the M4 Sherman. M4A1, M4A2, maybe a Jumbo or an Easy 8. Possibly even a Firefly. If it's American, Saunders will probably have it in stock somewhere. I wouldn't be surprised if they had a T28 Superheavy kicking around."

"You don't think they'd use it in this match, do you?" C.C. wondered, looking slightly nervous at the prospect.

"Pft. No. I know Kay. She prefers maneuverability and flexibility over…a box on tracks." Andrew said "Come on though, we should get to the number ceremony."

"We'll meet you there." Pauline countered "There's someone I want C.C. to meet."

"Very well then." Andrew shrugged, watching the two turn down a corridor as he continued on ahead.

* * *

Walking alone, he brushed past several others, nodding in greeting, to those who were undoubtedly from competing schools if the uniforms were anything to go by.

But one girl in particular caught his attention.

Short brown hair tucked up underneath what appeared to be a standard German Panzer wedge, a black tunic, red skirt, and black combat boots.

Her face bore no emotion, though her blond compatriot was looking around with unhidden and unbridled disappointment.

He was so focused that he actually bumped into her.

This in turn, caused the girl to drop the paperwork she was carrying.

"Oh my apologies! Such a bloody klutz I am." Andrew groaned, kneeling down and picking up the papers that had scattered about.

Both of them looked stunned as he stood, offering the files back to the girl with brown hair who had dropped it because of him.

With a tip of his cap and an apologetic smile, he went along his way towards the stage entrance, as he was to pull the ticket that would put his school on the path to war.

* * *

"Well that was rather rude, wouldn't you agree commander?" Erika intoned, looking at the back of the retreating man who had interrupted them.

"Yeah…rude…" Maho Nishizumi agreed, also watching the back of the man who had just bumped into her "Think he's military?"

"Must be." Erika replied "The uniform he was wearing looks somewhat familiar. Almost like what the old SS Panzer divisions wore."

"He must be an armoured officer from somewhere in Europe then." Maho figured, watching as he disappeared around the corner.

 _"_ _He was a little cute though. I would've liked to meet him formally."_ she thought with a slight frown _"Pity he's stationed overseas."_

She had no idea just how wrong she was, and what an awakening she would receive.

* * *

Stepping onto the stage, but still behind the curtain, he stood in a line behind several girls, all giving him quite the confused looks due to him being…well…there.

Individual schools were called, respective commanders from the team heading up to pull their numbers.

St. Gloriana Girls Academy, Pravda, Maginot, and more, until it was finally his turn.

 **"** **Griffin Academy, please step forward and take your number."**

Stepping out into the public eye, he wasn't at all surprised to hear the murmurings in the crowd as his boots echoed on the hardwood of the stage.

A table was set up, cards spread all over the top. All he needed to do was choose one.

Looking out at the crowd as he walked, he couldn't help but smirk at the thumbs up that Pauline flashed him as he got to the table, looking at the cards and choosing one at random.

"Number 4." was all he said to the official, who nodded, scribbling it down on his sheet and looking at the large board suspended, pushing the Griffin name into an open slat on number 4.

The other spot had already been occupied however.

 **"** **Griffin Academy will be competing against Maginot Girls School in the opening match!"**

 _"_ _French then. Simple enough. The French didn't have many tanks, and the ones they did have weren't that good anyways."_ he thought with a smirk, running his fingers along the brim of his cap.

Coming to stand beside a girl wearing a red tunic, black skirt, and black boots, her blond hair done up in two buns, she was of poise and elegance, which meant that she had to be British.

Standing at a mostly relaxed version of parade at ease, he watched carefully as the rest of the schools came through, grinning and flashing Kay a smile when she caught his eye.

In all honesty, he was surprised that she didn't just throw all tradition out the window and crush him in a hug.

He knew that he would definitely see her at the reception after the ceremony.

* * *

 _"_ _Since when are males allowed to participate in Senshado?"_ Maho thought furiously once she saw who the commander was for Griffin Academy _"This sport is female only!"_

Watching him walk out, she was forced to hold her tongue lest she make a snide comment that would be seen as unfit.

Keeping her eyes forward, but watching as he strutted out, pulled a card, and stood next to the commander from St. Gloriana.

 _"_ _They're up against Maginot. There's no possible way that a school with male students in this program will be able to succeed even minimally."_ she mused, still quite displeased.

But as displeased as she was, her mother was a hundredfold more.

Catching the eye of her mother, Shiho Nishizumi, the woman was wearing a deep frown, anger plainly visible in her eyes, and her fists were clenched on her lap.

It took all her training and discipline to not wither under her gaze.

She loved her mother, but ever since Miho had been removed from their house, it was a much more strained relationship between mother and daughter.

Letting her eyes flick back to the man standing five down from her, she resolved to interact with him at the banquet after this ceremony.

* * *

"I think you managed to ruffle a few feathers with that one Andrew." Pauline chuckled, meeting him at the stage door with C.C. not far behind.

"I am aware that this sport is female dominated, however, that it should be such a big deal that we have a few men participating. It's bloody laughable." he replied, shrugging as they began making their way to the banquet hall.

"You might think that, and so might most of the people here, but there's a niche of traditionalists that want to see this sport stay female only." Pauline informed him, thanking the person in front of them for holding the door.

"That's silly." C.C. offered, rolling her golden eyes "Men are just as good as women in most things."

"Most things?" Andrew groused, shaking his head as the other two laughed.

The trio continued along through the halls, sticking with the crowd until they reached the hall that the meet and greet/dinner would be held at.

The dinner was scheduled first, followed by two hours of pleasantries with other team captains, co-captains and trainers/headmistresses.

They had been told that they would be split into positions so they would be able to mingle with the other schools, which meant Andrew was going to be stuck at the table with all his fellow commanders.

And he was the only male.

Some people seemed like they didn't really care.

Others looked rather intrigued that there were finally males in the sport.

And others still, well, they just gave him the stink eye, like he didn't have any place in the lineups with the other commanders.

 _"_ _Well, tonight is certainly going to be interesting."_ he thought, finding his place marked with an embossed card.

 ** _Reserved for the Commander of Griffin Academy: Andrew Dixon_**

Taking a seat at the empty table, he reasoned that he was the first person from the commanders to show up.

Hopefully Kay would be along soon enough so he would at least have someone to talk to.

Looking on either side of him, the place cards read Katyusha (on the left) and someone named Darjeeling (on the right).

So, he was sitting between…a rocket launching truck…and a bag of tea?

Riiiiiight.

Before long though, people started to arrive at his table, nodding simply in greeting to which he happily returned it with his own nods.

Though they were all girls, it didn't hurt that they were all pretty easy on the eyes.

Soon enough, conversation was flowing, all of it directed at him.

"So, you're what's all the fuss about? Hmpf. Welcome to the fight. We won't go easy. I'm Anchovy, by the way." A girl with her very pale green hair tied in twintails.

"Andrew. It's a pleasure." the male replied, inclining his head "I assume from your dress state looking like Mussolini, and the name of your school, Anzio, that you mostly use Italian tanks?"

She looked slightly taken aback, chuckles surrounding the table before she grinned like a shark.

"Right. You know your stuff new guy. I look forward to beating you."

"Oh come now Anchovy, no need to be rude." the girl on her left said, taking a sip of water "My name is Éclair, and I am the commander of Maginot Girls Academy."

She could easily be defined as beautiful, with her medium length blue hair and light blue eyes. The smile on her face appeared innocent, but looked like it could turn into a smirk at a moments notice.

"Ah yes! You're our opponents in the first round. It should be a rather exciting event I would think." Andrew stated, leaning forward on the table slightly "As well, you'll mostly be using French tanks, so I expect Somua's and Renault's to appear, and I should hope I'm not disappointed. Not that I'm fishing for information or anything."

He laughed, watching the reaction of his rival for the first round, and smiled wider when her mouth dropped slightly.

 _"_ _And BINGO! We've got a leg up on what their fielding now. France only had so many pre-war and World War 2 tanks. The Firefly and Comet should be able to take them out with ease."_ he thought, as the chair to his right was pulled out.

He immediately recognized the girl who sat down as the one he stood beside during the pulling of the numbers, and it cemented that she was British just from the way she sat.

"You're the commander of Griffin Academy, correct?" she spoke softly, her annunciation perfect and her voice flawless and silky.

"Right." he affirmed, offering his hand "Andrew Dixon, at your service."

"A pleasure. I'm Darjeeling. Commander of St. Gloriana Girls Collage." she replied with a smile, shaking his hand.

"Ah so British then. I guessed as much from the uniform resembling the Queen's Guard." he grinned, drinking from his water.

"Watch it Darjeeling, he's got a lot of history up there, so he can guess what you bring to the field." Anchovy muttered, appearing somewhat grumpy at having her lineup figured out so quickly by the 'new guy.'

"Oh, can he? I'm intrigued. Please, have at it." Darjeeling chuckled, as eyes turned to him again.

"Well, Brits are pretty easy, though they have a lot. Matilda's, Crusaders, Churchills of a lot of variants are all possible. Maybe a Comet or Cromwell too. Sherman's are absolutely a chance as well due to the Firefly being a British modification.

"And don't even get me started on the Archer's, A30 Challenger or God forbid those AT-series of slow bunkers on tracks. Plenty of options, which is a nice thing, because it helps me plan for contingencies."

"You most certainly know your tanks Mr. Dixon." Darjeeling replied, while the rest of the table sat somewhat stunned of my knowledge of armored vehicles "I assume you know the statistics of them all as well?"

"What kind of person would I be if I didn't?" Andrew stated, laughing.

That was when the chair to his left was occupied.

And then all hell broke loose.

* * *

 **Fin**


End file.
